How far would you go?

Well, I've officially started off my new year with a dud. I forgot I was supposed to blog today - so apologies for being late with this post. So much for my New Year's resolution to stay on top of things right out of the gate this year.

One of the things I did over the holidays (besides eat and laugh and hug the grand kids a LOT) was watch a lot of movies. I'd DVR'd several to have on hand for a lazy day which I like to think of as a mental health day (some might call it a sofa slug day) and committed myself to nothing but my blankie and my sofa and my remote control. I made certain to fit one of those in yesterday, actually, before I started back in on my current WIP today.


So here's a morality question, cloaked in a movie review. Of all the movies I watched, an obscure little film entitled: Saving Grace was my favorite. The film was set in Scotland and was written and produced by Craig Fergesun (CBS late night Fergesun) and was about a middle aged woman - Grace - who had just become a widow. It's soon discovered that not only was her dearly departed a philanderer but he also left her deeply in debt due to some bad business decisions. She'd been a housewife for her entire life whose only skill is growing orchids in her little greenhouse outback of her house - a house she's about to lose along with everything else she owns because the bill collectors are pounding at her door.

Enter Fergeson, her likable, Peterpan man of a grounds keeper, who loves to grow himself a little recreational pot behind the Vicar's quarters. Hoping to cheer up Grace and give her something to think about other than her financial difficulties, he asks her about his ailing hemp plants, hoping she can tell him how to bring them back to life. Being a master gardener and unable to ignore a sick plant - no matter what it is - Grace helps him not only save the plants but make them thrive. Of course one thing leads to another and before you know it, her orchid house turns into a marijuana hot house with the plan to grow it in bulk, sell it in London for oodles of pounds, get her out of debt then close down the operation.


I've got to tell you, the movie was charming, with a wonderful supporting cast of colorful characters who all pitched in to save Grace by either acting as look outs to keep the law away (or the cops themselves, turning a blind eye to the light display at night when Grace would lite up the hothouse to speed up the growing process).

I found myself cheering for Grace as she traveled to London to find a dealer to sell her pot. The scenes of her on the streets in her white 'pimp' suit, trying to entice buyers were priceless.

In any event, the character of Grace growing pot was so far fetched but Ferguson and cast managed to sell it brilliantly. If you get the chance, find this movie and watch it. You'll love it.

Here was a woman in desperate financial straights who reached far outside her own moral code and comfort zone to find a way (albeit an illegal way) to save herself and because she was such a stalwart, stand-up soul, unwittingly engaged the assistance of an entire village to help her obtain her 'ill-gotten' gains. It got me thinking. What would I do when faced with an impossible situation? How far would I go to save myself? And how would I feel about someone who had to 'stretch' the moral boundaries a bit to manage this thing called 'survival'?
Anyone have any thoughts on this interesting moral dilemma?
Or, has anyone seen any 'not to be missed' movies or movies that you would NOT recommend lately? Still waiting for a review of Sherlock Holmes!!


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